A fire at a school operating inside a house in Malir’s Khokhrapar area claimed the life of a toddler, while another child narrowly escaped the blaze on Monday.
Police said the fire broke out at a school located in a house near Khokhrapar No. 2 Post Office. Fire brigade teams rushed to the scene after receiving reports and rescued the children trapped inside. However, during these efforts, the condition of one body deteriorated. The boy was taken to the burns ward of the Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The deceased was identified as two-and-a-half-year-old Ahad Zaidi, son of Nadir Zaidi.
Fire brigade officials said the fire began in two rooms located behind the ground-floor classrooms of the school, which was operating in the 120-square-yard house. The first floor of the building was being used as a residence. Curtains, cupboards, and papers inside the rooms were burnt in the blaze.
The child’s condition worsened due to smoke inhalation. He was initially taken to Sindh Government Hospital before being shifted to the Civil Hospital burns ward, where he died. He was reportedly the son of a teacher working at the school. Officials added that the cause of the fire could not be determined immediately.
Another fire broke out in an old warehouse located next to Masjid Al-Aqsa in Sherpao Colony, Landhi. Fire brigade teams rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the report, while police and Rescue 1122 personnel also reached the spot.
According to Rescue 1122 officials, the warehouse contained piles of foam and paper that caught fire. The blaze was brought under control, and cooling operations were under way to prevent re-ignition. No casualties were reported. An investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, officials added.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah took notice of both incidents and sought a report on the house fire that occurred in a school operating within a residential building in Khokhrapar. The Karachi commissioner informed the chief minister that the fire brigade reached the scene promptly and managed to control the blaze in time. He also confirmed that two children were injured in the Khokhrapar fire and that residents were present in the building at the time.
The CM directed authorities to provide immediate medical assistance to the injured and to expedite rescue operations. He also ordered a full inquiry into the operation of a school within a residential building.
Expressing concern over the warehouse fire, he ordered an investigation to determine how the fire started. He expressed satisfaction over the timely rescue and firefighting efforts carried out by the fire brigade.
